Method of and apparatus for forming new tops on underground valve boxes



April 5, 1932.` H. A. HELLING 1,852,928y

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING NEW TOPS ON UNDERGROUND VALVE BOXES Filed March 4, 195o l A H 4 i i f l/fn g b A/ i 'k WITNESSES lNvENToR l Hgwlliy vBZL'WH y K ATTORNEYS i Gr yio

lsaientecl4 Apr." 5;; 1932 HARRY A. HELLIfNG; or TARRYTOWN, NEW 'Yong METHODy onANn APPARATUS FOR -roRMING NEW TorsoN x.Uni)Ensrrtournf, l i

VALVEBOXES@ f I f.

y Application Lfiled March A,l

This invention yrelates to a method yof and apparatus for forming new tops on underground valve boxesto meet with changes in the grade or level ,of theroad or pavement, particularly where said grade or level is raised.

' VUp to the p-resent time, adjustment in the valvebox is a considerable distance below the F vsurfacefand it is necessary to dig down to this point. Furthermore, the securing of a permit is necessary to the'k openingof a hole in ythe road which `is'large enough to accomplish .the purpose.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of and apparatus for forming new tops on underground valve boxes which will effect 'a substantialeconomy in raising the upper end to grade by materially'reduc- ,ing the time and labor incident to the excavation of the highway and by avoiding the requirement of securing a permit therefor.

More specifically, the invention compre- .hends a vmethod and apparatus whichl embraces theuse ofv a cast, pressed, spun or otherwise constructed supplemental top section, the lower end ofwhich is telescopically engaged'within the upper end of the upper section of the valve box, and which supplemental top section is supported byl and encased inv cement,i gro'rut, concrete or other equivalent plastic filling substance, which in addition izo-supporting the supplemental section serves at the Sametime to repair the hole formed in the road or pavement.

The inventionfurthermore contemplates a supplemental section which constitutes respectively a liner and form for the new 4cement, concrete or grout' top and which supplemental section is constructed with an upper end of the proper configuration to accommodate the old box cover, thereby avoiding the expense of procuring new covers.

With the aboverecited and otherfobjects Vnew, top completely formed.

reference/,A designates the upper sectiony of ,an underground valve boxhavlng the usual drawings.L The newsupplemental top sec- 1930. serial No. 433,109.

in view, the invention resides in the improved 7 method and apparatus-set forth in the following `description and accompanying drawings, in` which there is exhibited'one example or embodiment of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

In the drawings: e

Figure l is avertical sectional view'illus trating thesupplemental Vtop*y section positioned and supported prior toy the pouring of the'filling material..v y y Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the Referring to the vdrawings characters yof enlargedflange B atits upperendto receive they cover C.y The present-method of kand apparatus for forminga new top where the f grade is raised from the yold grade lindicated jat D tothe new level indicated at E embodiesfthe use of a supplemental top section '5 which iskof cylindrical formation andof an appropriate diameter to telescopically lit withinthe vupper end yof the valveibox' sec- ,75

rtion A. kIn practice, the supplemental top 2 Section5 may either ybe cast,pressed, spun 4or lotherwise constructed, and athin material so as not-to unduly restrict is preferably of` its inner diameter." `The upper end 6r of the ,80 supplemental section 5 is oifsetoutwardly or otherwise shaped to conform with the' old kcover C, to avoid the expense of procuring l new` coversy while at the same time de fining an external shoulder or step which seats upon the plastic filling material which subsequently surrounds the sectionk 5, thereby actingas a permanent'support for the supplemental section.A 'Instead of digging alarge hole in the road deep enough to allowthe upper section ofthe old box to be raised, it is only knecessary to dig a hole about two inches larger in diameter than the topof the old box section and remove the cover ofV thefold box; A strip of packing materialis .95 tied around the new supplemental sectionv 5 near its lower end, and then the lowerend of said new section is `inserted in the topV ofthe old box section A, as clearly illustrated in the tion is then pushed down until its upper end is flush with the road surface. In practice, the supplemental top section 5 may be supported and the proper level of its upper end assured by attaching thereto in any desired manner a stick 7 such as by means of the wire 8. After the supplemental top section 5 is positioned and supported as shown in Figure 1, cement, grout or concrete 9 is oured into the space around the same and etween it and the surrounding pavement. The stick 7 which has been employed as a support and gauge is then removed, and after the material is set the old cover is placed in the new top. In this manner, the height of the old valve box is raised and the pavement is patched in one operation at the expenditure of considerably less time and labor than would be required to raise the upper section of the old box under the present methods now in vogue.

It will be observed that the new supplemental top section 5 acts in the capacity of a form, as well as a liner, for the new top, and it is also apparent that it is possible to increase the height of the old valve boxes any amount necessary. I-t is also apparent that the same box may be` increased in height again at some future time by merely inserting a new top section or liner. Whenever it is necessary to lower an old valve box to meet with a. lowering of the grade, an advantage may be gained by lowering the top of the old valve box level with the sub grade to give the road roller and o'portunity to properly roll the sub ade be ore the pavement is placed, and then, just before the pavement is constructed, to forma new top on the old valve box with one of the new supplemental top sections.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that a new and improved method of and apparatus for forming new tops on underground valve boxes has been devised which renders the operation considerablvmore expeditious and less expensive and which obtains other advantages over the previous methods employed.

'What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a top on an installed underground valve box or the like to meet with a change in the grade of the pavenient, including the steps of inserting a supplemental top section in a pre-excavated portion of the pavement adjacent the valve box, litting the lower end of said supplemental top section within the upper end of the old valve box, sliding said supplemental section vertically until the top edge thereof is disposed Hush with the new grade and filling in with a plastic substance between said section and excavated portion of the surrounding pavement.

Q. A method of forming new tops on previously installed underground valve boxes or the lilte to meet with a change in the grade of the pavement, including the steps of inserting a suppleu'iental top section in a preexcavated portion of thc pavement adjacent the valve box, fitting said supplemental top section within the upper end of the old valve box, slidingr said section vertically until its top edge is in a plane flush with the new gradel surface, temporarily supporting said supplemental section in said iiush position and filling in said pre-excavated portion between said section and the surrounding pavelnent with a plastic substance serving to permanently support the supplemental section and to repair the pavement adjacent said section.

3. A method of forming a new top on installed underground valve boxes or the like to meet with a raise in the grade of the pavement, comprising the steps of excavating down to the upper end of the installed valve box, inserting a supplemental top section therein, slidingl said supplemental section vertically until its upper edge is flush with the new grade, temporarily supporting said section in said flush position, filling in between the exterior surface of the supplemental top section and the walls of the excavation and removing said temporary support.

4. A method of forming a new top on an installed underground valve box to meet with a change in the grade of the pavement, including the steps of telescopically inserting a tubular supplemental top section in the upper end of the installed valve box, vertically sliding said supplemental top section relative to the valve box and temporarily supporting said section within a pre-excavated portion of the pavement which exposes the upper end of the valve box so that the upper edge of said section is disposed fiush with the new grade and introducing between the exterior surface of the supplemental section and the walls of the excavation, a plastic filling substance to constitute means for permanently supporting the supplemental section and for repairing the excavated portion of the pavement adjacent thereto.

5. The herein described method of forming a new top on an installed underground valve box to meet with a change in the grade of the pavement, including the steps of inserting a tubular extension in a pre-excavated portion of the pavement, introducing a portion of said extension into the. upper end of the installed valve box, sliding the extension vertically to dispose the upper end thereof fiush with the new grade and filling in with a plastic material, said pre-excavated portion of the pavement between the walls of the excavation, the extension and the exposed portion of the installed valve box.

6. The herein described method of forming a new top on an' installed underground valve box or the vlike to meet with a change in the grade of the pavement, including the steps of excavating t ie pavement down to the upperl end of the installed valve box, inserting a tubular supplementalsection into the upper end of the installed valve box, slidingvsaid section relatively to said valve box until the same is flush with the new grade surface of Y the pavement, temporarily supporting said supplemental section in said flush position, filling in with a plastic material around the supplemental section between the same, the

exposed top of the installed valve box and) f the surrounding pavementfand removing .the

. viously installed valve box section, sliding said supplemental section vertically with respect thereto until the top edge of 'the same is disposed iiushwith the new grade" of the pavement and then filling `in with a plastic substance between said section and the surrounding pavement to permanently support the supplemental section and complete the pavement. Y

8. A construction forvextending the tops of previously installed underground valve `boxes to meet with a change in the pavement grade, including atubular body of a diameter to snugly and slidably fit within the upper end of the installed valve box, of a height to permit of sliding thereof to a position to extend upwardly therefrom to a level flush v with the new grade of the pavement and arranged within an excavation extending downwardly from the new grade to the top of an installed valve box and a plastic substance filling Isaid excavation around said supplemental section and constituting a common means for holding the parts iniixed relation and for completing the pavement upto the margin of said body. Y

9. Iii-combination withan installed Linderground valve boxvhaving a cover seat at its upper end,'a supplemental top member having a tubular body, the lower end of which is slidably iitted within the upper end of the valve box,-said body being of a height to extend therefrom to a. plane flush with a new street grade, the supplemental top member having at its upper end a seat for accommodating the valve box cover of the installed valve box.;

' 10. A construction for extending the tops of previously installed underground valve t boxes to meet with a change in the pavement of the installed valve box, `a-plastic substance iilling said excavationl around said supplemental section` and means surrounding the tubular body for establishing a seal between the same and the 'oldvalve box where they interit, to preventthe leakage of the plastic substance therebetween.

HARRY A. HELLING.

roi.y 

